the state of publishing

I would just like to point out that over Christmas I purchased four e-books for my own personal reading pleasure.

The new Lee Child.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag
Faithful Place

And I'm glad I did; they were all awesome (although the new Lee Child felt oddly sadistic to me, even for Reacher). Point being, would I have gone out and bought those four books at a bookstore over the same period of time? No way--I never have time to shop and also they would have cost a lot more in hardcover.

I seriously think all will be well in the state of publishing--give it a few years and it's going to even out again.

Jenny, entering the New Year in a spirit of optimism. And look for my official New Years post coming soon.

I am no longer accepting applications for the internship

But I'm sure I'll be looking again at some point in the future. Thanks to all who applied--you will hear from me.

internship

I'm once again looking for a remote (unpaid) intern or two to read queries--someone with an interest in adult fiction, women's fiction and memoir a plus.



Send an e-mail to info@thebentagency.com, with "internship" in the subject line. Put your cover letter in the body of your e-mail and if you have a resume, you can attach it, but it's not necessary. Tell me the last 5-10 books you read and your 5-10 very favorite books. I'm looking for someone who can commit to reading at least 50 queries a week, and reading and writing a readers report for at least one manuscript a week. Don't worry if you don't have publishing experience; I really just want someone who loves to read and knows a lot about contemporary fiction/memoir.

If you've applied in the past, feel free to apply again. My needs often change and if you weren't right before you might be right now.

Holiday Cheer

Forgive me, but I digress.

This season I am helping to sponsor the international adoption of a child with Down's Syndrome through an organization called Reese's Rainbow. There are many families who want to adopt, but the costs can be prohibitive and there are currently 200 children around the world waiting for families. Reese's Rainbow is a a registered 501(c)3 charity which promotes and facilitates the international adoption and rescue of children with Down's Syndrome in particular. While it is a faith-based organization, it is not legally affliliated with any church, there are no faith based restrictions on the donations and families of all faiths are welcome to adopt.

During the Christmas Angel Tree project, the charity receives donations from people of all faiths all over the world. So even if you don't celebrate Christmas your gift can still save a life.

So if you were thinking of getting me a present (or even if you weren't!), the best gift you could possibly give me is to help a child who desperately needs a home.

http://reecesrainbow.biz/